Haslet-Davis gets survivors’ support

Saturday, April 12, 2014 -- Anonymous (not verified)

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Sunday, April 13, 2014

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Jordan Graham

Katie Eastman

Fellow survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings yesterday threw their support behind Adrianne Haslet-Davis, saying she was right to walk out on a taping of “Meet the Press” after she felt the Sunday TV news show violated a promise not to mention the accused terrorists by name.

“Good for her, sticking to her guns in walking out,” said Lee Ann Yanni, whose left leg was broken and shredded by shrapnel in the first of two blasts nearly a year ago. “If anyone, especially a survivor of a tragedy such as this, asks for something as simple as not saying the alleged bombers’ names, I don’t think it should be that hard to oblige.”

Haslet-Davis, a dancer who lost part of her left leg in the bombings, declined to speak further about the incident yesterday. In a post on her website Friday, she accused “Meet the Press” of being “dishonorable” for naming the accused bomber and said that it “disrespected” the survivors of the bombings. A spokeswoman for NBC’s “Meet the Press” said it was a miscommunication and they could not guarantee the alleged bombers’ names would not be used. NBC did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.

“It’s just too bad she had to (walk out), because she has some amazing things to say,” Yanni said.

Carlos Arredondo, captured in an iconic photograph pushing a badly wounded Jeff Bauman in a wheelchair away from the finish line, said he understands why Haslet-Davis left.

“When we agree on some situations, we have to keep the agreement,” Arredondo said. “It’s very delicate ... It’s very emotional.”

Haslet-Davis’ request should have been honored, said Richard “Dic” Donohue, the MBTA police officer shot in the firefight with the accused bombers in Watertown.

“It seems like she made a reasonable request, being in the situation she’s in and everything she’s been through,” Donohue said.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh said yesterday that the next week — including the one year anniversary and the marathon — needs to be about the victims and survivors, not the alleged bombers.

“All of them gave us something special,” Walsh said. “We have to remember them and celebrate their lives.”